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DEFINING MOMENTS

Tips from our art directors for you design a visually striking presentation

The visual support of a presentation – the well-known slides – is an important tool to get people’s attention and explain complex concepts graphically.

To help you achieve a state-of-the-art layout, just like the SOAP’s ones, we have gathered tips from the biggest experts we know: our art directors! They are responsible for developing our clients’ visual identities and coordinating their presentations. Now, they have agreed on sharing their knowledge.

Check out seven valuable steps to frame more interesting and appealing slides, and hence a more convincing presentation.

Write a good script

If you thought you would come here just for visual tips, you were wrong. A truly impressive layout must be related to a good script.

The script and the layout work together, and they must be in tune. A well-built script allows us to perceive the main subjects to be discussed and where our focus should be on. With that in hand, it is easier to create slides to elucidate and add to the speech – rather than repeating the speaker. Besides, a precise script trims excesses, especially regarding the number of texts.

Decide on a visual identity

Creating a visual identity is elemental, whether it is intended as a product, an event or a brand. Just as we have explained here, colors, typeface, shapes, and symbols you choose are means to make your audience recognize your business, as well as granting a sense of wholeness to your presentation.

In addition, a visual identity conveys the values and essence of your project. Good news is: you only need to work on it once. Then you just apply the same pattern to further presentations – considering you are dealing with similar purpose, context, and audience.

For an example: if an IT professional gives a talk, about strategy, during a sales convention, the visual identity must be more distinctive, and make use of metaphors and animation effects to draw attention and connect the audience. However, if the same presentation is addressed to the Board of Directors, the visual must be different.

Divide the content into categories

It never gets old: in a good presentation, there is neither too much text nor illustrations on the same slide. Besides mangling the presentation, the overflow of information has a contrary effect: it compromises rather than helping comprehension.

So, opt for dividing the most complex projections into two or three slides, thereby offering a more clarifying material that will not confuse listeners. It would be dreadful if someone could not follow your line of thought because is trying to read the small letters or the 15 bullet points you have chosen.

One tip: divide the information of your presentation by messages, and use tools, such as ‘Click’, which inserts image or text on the slide, it makes the presentation more dynamic and visually enjoyable.

Use contrasts

Contrast (of colors, sizes, and shapes) is an excellent tool to make a presentation more interesting and draw audience’s attention. The technique can be applied in different ways. So, be bold! You might create different sizes and typefaces for your texts, use contrasting colors to display information, and even vary the dimensions of your pictures. Such strategies increase the chances of your audience looking precisely at the information you want.

Choose illustrations carefully

Deciding on certain images and tone colors makes all the difference for your visual presentation. It is worth applying the psychology of colors: each tonality triggers a different feeling in people. Calmness, mental strain, and even hunger can be set off by specific colors, hence the reason to find images with tone colors suitable for the subject matter being discussed.

We must also always make sure to choose illustrations that make sense in the context of the keynote. Avoid old or low-quality images and try to follow a pattern. Do not put together in the same presentation pictures, drawings or other types of illustrations.

Layout

The way you arrange objects on the slide imparts organization and clarity (or else!). Therefore, for the layout of your presentation, make good use of tools, such as contrast, pay attention to the text alignment and page margin. Organize your information in a way that is both delightful and meaningful.

You may find different examples of layout in newspapers and magazines. So, if you are out of ideas on how to design your presentation, just grab the first publication near you.

Search for references

A good technique to help you take in so many tips is to search for examples to study. On our website download page, you find the e-books developed by the same team that has shared these tips.

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